1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a baby carrier used for carrying a baby and walking, and more particularly, to a baby carrier having a pad suitable for holding a baby in both a face-to-face holding manner and a forward-facing holding manner.
2. Description of Related Art
As one of using mode of a usage pattern of a baby carrier used for holding a baby and walking, there is a so-called xe2x80x9choldingxe2x80x9d a baby in front of a user of the baby carrier. A common manner for holding a baby is to hold the baby in a face-to-face manner such that the baby and the user are opposed to each other as shown in FIG. 6. In the case of this face-to-face holding manner, the user can always check the baby""s complexion, the baby is watched by the user and therefore both of them can feel peace of mind. Further, if the baby is sleepy, he or she can lean on the user and sleep in an easy pose, and also when the user auxiliary supports the baby by hands, the baby can be supported stably. Therefore, most baby carriers employ a structure suitable for holding a baby in the face-to-face manner such as to entirely cover from the baby""s back to hip.
By the way, a baby has strong curiosity by nature and shows curiosity about peripheral landscape. However, in the case of the face-to-face holding manner, the user interrupts the baby""s visual scope and the baby can not satisfy his or her curiosity. Further, if the baby is held in the same pose for a long time, the baby gets tired of being held. For this reason, there are increasing tendencies to prefer holding a baby in the xe2x80x9cforward-facing holding mannerxe2x80x9d in which the baby is faced into the same direction as the user to widen the visual scope. In this case, since the face-to-face holding manner is of course superior to the forward-facing holding manner only in view of the psychic and physical stability, the user does not always hold the baby in the forward-facing holding manner only, and the user switches the holding manners.
Therefore, users used a baby carrier basically for holding a baby in the face-to-face manner. as it is, and an accommodating direction of the baby was turned around with respect to a carrier body so that the baby carrier could be used both for the face-to-face holding manner and the forward-facing holding manner.
However, if a baby carrier originally for holding a baby in the face-to-face holding manner is used for holding the baby in the forward-facing holding manner, there are the following problems.
That is, a human""s upper-body and upper and lower extremities bend forwardly (thoracicoabdominal direction), an outer side size in the bending direction is longer than that of an inner side. In order to stably hold such a human body in the carrier body, a back rest for supporting a baby from his or her back to hip is formed wide and a crotch rest for supporting the baby from his or her lower abdomen to inguinal region is formed slightly narrower. If such a baby carrier is used for holding a baby in the face-to-face manner, it is possible to entirely cover the baby""s back to hip, and to stably hold the baby. However, if the baby is turned around to the opposite direction and the baby carrier is used for holding the baby in the forward-facing manner, the baby""s legs project from lower edges of the back rest toward the back rest in a slightly bending state and thus, a lower portion of the wide back rest supports the baby from his or her lower abdomen to the inguinal region. Further, since the carrier body is suspended, a weight of the baby is concentrated to the lower portion of the back rest, and the lower edges of the back rest presses or bites into the baby""s inguinal region. Moreover, in the case of the forward-facing holding, a baby can move arms and legs more freely as compared with the face-to-face holding, the baby moves largely, and the pressure applied to the inguinal region of the baby becomes stronger.
Furthermore, there is a demand that a user wants to use one baby carrier for holding a baby laterally shortly after birth, in addition to the above-described two kinds of holding manners, and after short growth, for carry the baby piggyback.
In view of the above technical background, it is an object of the present invention to provide a baby carrier having a pad capable of holding a baby in both face-to-face and forward-facing directions, and also capable of safely holding the baby laterally and carrying the baby piggyback.
To achieve the above object, a baby carrier having a pad according to the present invention comprises a carrier body which includes at least a back rest and is capable of accommodating and holding a baby in both a face-to-face holding manner in which the baby is held such that the back rest is brought into contact with a back of the baby and a forward-facing holding manner in which the baby is held such that the back rest is brought into contact with chest and abdomen of the baby and shoulder belts mounted to the carrier body to be carried on left and right shoulders of a user, and the baby carrier further comprises a pad mounted detachably in the carrier body, formed wider than a position which corresponds to a crotch rest portion of the back rest of the carrier body when the baby carrier is used in the forward-facing holding, and which can cover the back rest.
It is preferable that the back rest of the carrier body has a back-width adjusting member for increasing and reducing a back rest width.
It is preferable that a head rest member for stabilizing a head of the baby upwardly projects from an upper portion of the back rest of the carrier body and the head rest member can be detached, and the pad and the head rest member are mounted to the back rest of the carrier body by common catches.
Further, it is preferable that in the carrier body, the back rest is continuously formed at its lower end with a crotch rest which is U-shaped as viewed from side, and the carrier body further comprises a front rest whose lower end edge is connected to a front end edge of the crotch rest and whose upper opposite edges are detachably connected to opposite ears of the back rest. It is preferable that the baby carrier comprises crotch belts pulled out from front end edges of the crotch rest, wherein in a state in which the front rest is separated, tip ends of the crotch belts are detachably fixed to left and right opposite sides respectively of the back rest.
It is preferable that the shoulder belts can be adjusted in lengths when the shoulder belts are put on both shoulders for vertically holding the baby and when the shoulder belts are collectively crossed for laterally holding the baby.